In 2006, Governor Edward Rendell announced a three-year, $200 million Classrooms for the Future program to provide technology and technology support to schools across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, beginning in the 2006-2007 school year. The purpose of this research study is to examine the change process of the diffusion of technology within…

In November 1996, forty-five higher education technology leaders convened in Washington, D.C., to discuss the virtual university (VU). The Western Governors Association had announced establishment of the Western Governors University (WGU). As a result, VU initiatives were emerging from, or being contemplated by, almost every state-level higher…

Technological innovation is driving fundamental changes in all aspects of our lives. This is especially true of digital content, as our use of e-books, downloadable music, streaming television and movies, and online social networks has exploded. However, the explosive growth in our use of digital content seems so far to have eluded many of the 50…

People do not want to know the history, minutiae of policy, or operations, or even the political intrigues of a virtual consortium. People want to know if the consortium has value, whether it can help them, and if it is a threat. In this article, the author focuses on the operating principles and policies that have proven successful in the…

As the nation struggles to get back on its feet economically, the colleges and universities are working harder than ever to fulfill their mission: to educate the next generation of workers and citizens. In the West that task is arguably more challenging than elsewhere. The region is highly diverse in terms of both demographics and geography, with…

The sixteenth in a series on instructional technology, this report on South Carolina's ETV network describes its relationship with individual institutions and how, in their own way, they make use of its services. Through its sharing of resources, outreach programs, and linkage of institutions, the ETV system has made possible otherwise unreachable…

Describes a model state-wide microcomputer network for vocational education allowing students either to process information independently with one computer or access data and programs residing in the state central library. Each location will have 20 IBM microcomputers and four printers. Implications of this program for public education are…

This collection of papers includes both presentations at a two-day conference of the Education Advisory Council at Apple Computer which considered information and insights on the use of telecommunications and networking in education, and papers describing other telecommunications projects that have been identified since the council's meeting.…

Reports are given on the use of computers in elementary and secondary schools in five states. An analysis of the reports discusses various educational trends and implications evolving from computer use, including misapplied technology and the proper amount of learning and teaching via computers. (CJ)

Policy briefs are reports on the status of current issues in education from a national perspective; descriptions of actions and agendas in the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (NCREL) region; and commentaries by experts from their particular point of view; and resources for further information. The focus of this report is technology…

Teachers in Kentucky are using portfolios to determine strengths and weaknesses of individual students. Consequently, instruction is centered totally around the student. The implementation of portfolios sends the message to students that their first efforts should not be their last. Revision is part of improvement, and students are expected to…

This resource manual is designed to provide educators with timely information on the use of computers and related technology in schools. Section one includes a review of the new Bureau of Technology Applications' goal, functions, and major programs and activities; a description of the Model Schools Program, which has been conceptually derived from…

Reports on a forum sponsored by the California State Department of Education in cooperation with the California School Boards Association and the Far West Laboratory for Education Research and Development, which was held to identify the most critical needs for educational technology in the state and to discuss possible strategies for meeting these…

Materials collected in this book and in Volume I (SP 003 238) are related to the Multi-State Teacher Education Project (M-STEP). They deal with program experiments and resulting directions, including guide-line type materials resulting from the project effort and items prepared by other sources as project-centered aids. Part I, "A Forward…

In 1991, educators at the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia began developing ideas for integrating telecommunications into the instructional practices of public school teachers using Virginia's Public Education Network. Teachers from across the state were invited to participate in a telecommunications project called the…